Southcoast Health Cost-effective and On-budget Brand Implementation

Southcoast Health

The Situation

Southcoast Health, a New England regional hospital system, had recently rebranded to highlight their patient-centric focus. To cement their position as a leader in their community, Southcoast then acquired three hospitals and began to look for a way to roll these under the umbrella of their new brand. That meant figuring out how to transition branded assets in a way that improved brand consistency and the patient experience across all facilities.

The Challenge

Initially, Southcoast began implementing the rebrand on their own, but realized that the unwieldly and unusual nature of the work required outside help with key brand touchpoints such as signage. Inconsistent wayfinding had also become an issue at their expanding roster of locations and needed to be addressed.

Our management of the RFP processes for wayfinding and signage saved Southcoast over half a million dollars, including 30% on their wayfinding budget

The Solution

In addition to helping scope and plan the rebranding of signage and wayfinding across 38 sites, Southcoast requested assistance to complete the signage and wayfinding roll-out of the rebranding and integrate their acquisitions. We then assessed the completeness of the brand roll-out across every category of branded assets. BrandActive’s brand implementation consultants created transition strategies and cost estimates for ID badges, fleet, workwear and branded environments under two different scenarios, which then led us to support Southcoast with detailed planning for the fleet transition.

BrandActive worked with Southcoast’s internal design team to create signage standards and technical specifications. We collaborated with a local wayfinding expert on a system that enables patients to get to every destination easily and quickly and flexes with changing needs. These efforts (along with a solution for Southcoast’s exterior illuminated signs) brought the brand to life in a way that creates a cohesive patient experience without exceeding the budget.  Through this proven process, Southcoast is set up for efficient, cohesive, and cost-effective brand application for years to come.

The Results

BrandActive brought structure, simplicity, and efficiency to a complex program. Our management of the RFP processes for wayfinding and signage saved Southcoast over half a million dollars, including 30% on their wayfinding budget. By achieving these savings, Southcoast was able to improve the effectiveness of more branded patient touchpoints and develop high-tech branded environments.

These strategies, combined with the smart use of CapEx and OpEx dollars over three years, enabled Southcoast to implement their brand on budget. The quality, consistency, and efficient pace of the project also empowered them to achieve their desired outcomes.